Minister for Power, Adebayo Adelabu, declared on Monday that it is futile to continue generating electricity without ensuring its delivery to end-users.
He emphasized the imperative for the nation’s power sector to function effectively, underscoring the government’s serious commitment to this goal.
Speaking at the third edition of the roundtable for the legislature, judiciary, and stakeholders on the enforcement of technical standards and regulations in the Nigerian electricity supply industry, organized by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) in Abuja, Adelabu outlined the ministry’s strategic roadmap.
Nigeria currently boasts 23 power-generating plants connected to the national grid, with a combined installed capacity exceeding 10,000MW and an available capacity of approximately 6,000MW.
However, only around 4,500MW of this power reaches consumers nationwide.
Adelabu expressed a bottom-up approach to reforming the power sector, focusing on consumers, distribution, transmission, and generation.
He stressed the importance of addressing the customer experience and ensuring liquidity to finance activities along the value chain.
While the government plans to escalate power generation and introduce new infrastructure, Adelabu reiterated the significance of maintaining high-quality standards and affirmed the government’s unwavering support.
The minister also conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to backing the power sector for the delivery of electricity to Nigerians.
Adelabu emphasized the need for political will, asserting that the government is resolute about making the power sector work.
Tukur Aliyu, Managing Director of NEMSA, emphasized the critical role of enforcing technical standards and regulations in managing the growth of the electricity industry.
He highlighted the agency’s past encounters with resistance due to a lack of understanding about its mandate.
The one-day enlightenment and interactive program aimed to bridge the knowledge gap regarding NEMSA’s enforcement role, sensitizing legislators, judicial officers, state government representatives, and other stakeholders on the legal framework for enforcing technical standards and regulations in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry and allied industries.
